Improvement in machines for filling metallic boot-heel shells with wood



, 2 Sheets-Sheet l. F. RICHARDSON, F. HACKER, & l. A. BLAKE.

Machine for Filling Metallic Boot-Heel Shells with Wood.

Nox 126,491, Patented May7,l872.

"F."niCHAnnson if. HACKER, e i. A. BLAKE.

Machine for Filling Metallic Boot-Heel Shells with Wood.

No 125,491] Patented May 7,l872.

l1lllIlllll"MINIMWIllllllllllllllllllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNORS TO REVERSIBLE BOOT- HEEL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR `FILLING METALLIC BOOT-HEEL SHELLS- WITH WOOD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,491, dated May 7, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK RICH- ARDsoN, FRANCIS HACKER, and JosIAH AL- LEN BLAKE, all of the city and county of Providence in the State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Machine for illing Metallic Boot-Heel Shells with Wood,

Our machine is intentionally adapted for filling with wood such reversible and changeable heel-taps as were patented originally by Frederick Richardson, May 5, 1868, and subsequently improved by Richardson and Hacker, and covered by several jointly-issued Letters Patent. It can be, however, without material change, equally well adapted for lling, in like manner, metallic heel-shells with which no separate tap is to be employed. Should it be deemed desirable to fill heel-shells with any compounded compressible material previously molded, this machine will operate therewith as well as if the wooden Iillings were employed. Our invention consists, first, in a certain novel combination of a plunger with acompressing and guiding die, by which a wooden filling of an original area, greater than the interior capacity of the shell into which it is to be forced, is compressed, directed to, and deposited within a metallic shell 5 secondly, in combining with said plunger and die a feed-motion for conveying the wooden blanks from a feed-box to the front face ot' the die; thirdly, in the combination, with the die and plunger, of a carrier or feed-motion for conveying the metallic heel-shell to the rear face ofthe die; fourthly, in the combination of the-wooden blank-carrier and the metallic shell-carrier with the die and plunger. Fifthly, in the combination of two dies and two plnngers, arranged with relation to each other in such a manner that two wooden llings may be inserted simultaneously into the same metallic shell from opposite directions, and thus form the two separate treads of a reversible heeltap 5 sixthly, in the combination, with the twoing furnished and forming a part ofthe same, is a clear, true, and exact description of a machine involving the several and combined features of our invention.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 represents one of our machines in perspective. Fig. 2 represents the same in top view. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the machine, at point indicated in Fig. 2 as line X Y. Fig. 4 represents a cross-ver tical sectional view of our machine, at point indicated in Fig. 2 as line Y Z. Fig. 5 represents a wooden filling. Fig. 6 represents one form of a metallic heel-shell, marked H. (See also Fig. 8.) Fig. 7 represents the heel-shell after the wooden filling has been inserted. Fig. 8 represents, in enlarged sectional views, the directing and compressing dies.

In all the figures, A denotes the main driving-shaft, to which a beltpulley is keyed. B and B denote two auxiliary shafts. They are provided at one end with large driving-gears, which engage with each other. They derive motion from the main shaft, with which one of the gears is operatively connected by a pinion, in such a manner that both of the large gears are rotated toward each other. C and C', respectively, denote horizontal sliding plungers, which are connected to cams or cranks on the auxiliary shafts B and B by connecting-rods a and a', in such a manner that the revolution of the shafts will cause a reciprocating movement of the plungers. Each plunger is fitted to a slide in the bed-plate of the machine. The operative end of each plunger is shaped in the form of a heel-tap. They are each provided with a longitudinal central opening, c and c', which extends from the front face of the plunger back to a vertical transverse slot, b and b. From the bottom of each slot, extending downward through the plunger and the bed of the machine, are openings for the passage of chips discharged during a portion of the operation, hereafter to be described. The operative or heel-shaped ends are preferably' detachable from the main body of the plunger, in order that they may be changed from one size to another, according to the character of the work to be performed. D and Dl denote two dies, which, with the plun gers, laterally compress and direct the wooden filling` into the metallic shell. Each die is provided with a heel-shaped aperture extending through it. On the plunger side of the die the heel-shaped aperture is somewhat larger than the heel-shaped end ot' the plunger, and also somewhat larger than the wooden filling to be operated upon. This aperture, however, tapers inwardly on all sides from thc front face to a point about midway through the die, where its area is a tritie less than the interior area ot' the shell into which the wooden filling is to be inserted, and also about the same size, or a little larger, than the heelshaped end of the plunger. The aperture on the rear face of the die is titted to receive the metallic shell H, as is clearly shown in Fig. 8 of Sheet 2. Each die is mounted upon a sliding plate, d and d', to which a reciprocating movement is given by means ofV horizontal elbow-levers c and c', pivoted in the top ot' the bed-plate, and which are in turn actuated by rotary groove-edged calns f and f on the shafts B and B. Each die is preferably so mounted on its sliding plate that, while it is temporarily firmly attached thereto, and cannot be moved to any considerable extent to or from its fellow independent of the movement of its plate, it will, at the same time, have sufficient play thereon to enable it to readily adjust itself, not only to the sliding plunger and the interposed wooden tlling, but also to the metallic shell when interposed between the two dies, and thereby create what might properly be termed a general bearing7 between the two plnn gers, the two wooden fillings, the two dies, and the interposed metallic shell, when the plungers are advancing toward each other. Each die is provided with a spring on its inner face, so set that when the two dies are in close relation each is pressed by the spring of the other, by which means, when the pressure on the plunger and the sliding plates is withdrawn, the dies are promptly forced apart. As a different set of dies is requisite for every different size of heel, it is desirable that they be so set on their sliding plates that they can readily be removed or placed thereon. In this instance the sliding plates have two vertical posts within which the dies are set, and to which they are connected by a loose spline engaging with proper corresponding` grooves in the posts and dies. E denotes the "shellfeeder" or carrier, by which the metallic heelshells are conveyed to a proper position be tween the dies, as is represented in Fig. 8. The shell-feeder" consists of a narrow vertical post with a horizontal arm (narrower than the thickness of a heel-shell) extending toward the dies, on which the straight edge of the heel-shell rests when in position for conveyance to the dies. The post is mounted upon the outer end ot' a sliding plate, g, which operates at right angles to the line ot' the plnngers, parallel with the inner faces of the dies, but below and practically between them. The sliding plate is operated by a horizontal lever pivoted to the top of the bed-plate, and actuated by the rotary grooved edged cam h on the shaft B. Two wing-guides, attached to the bed-plates, are so placed as to serve as holders to the metallic shell when on the feeder, and thereby prevent it from falling olf at either side dnrin g the inward movementof the feeder. F and Fl denote the feed-boxes for contain ing the wooden fillings. They are rectangular, spout-like structures, open on the upper side, and inclined from their outer ends downward to the level of the lower edge ot' the dies and plungers. The incline should be sufficient to induce a free downward sliding movement of the wooden tillin gs (shown in Fig. 5) which are placed therein, some fifteen, twenty, or more at a time, with their straight edges resting on the bottom of the feed-boxes. The lower ends of the feed-boxes are on a line truly parallel, but not coincident with the front faces of the dies when their inner faces are in contact. They are, however, set back of the line of the dies when in the position named a certain distance, which is equal to the thickness of the wooden llin gs employed. The boxes are represented as it' containing six wooden fillings each. G and G denote the filling77 feeders or carriers. They consist of flat horizontal bars tted to slides, which rest on the bed-plate at right angles to the operative line of the plungers, and terminate at a point adjacent to the inside edges ot' the dies. They are moved to and fro between the feed-boxes and the outer faces of the dies and plungers by a horizontal lever, i, which is pivoted to the top of the bed-plate, and is actuated by a grooved-edged cam, k, on the shaft B. The two feeders are connected at their rear ends by a cross-bar extending through slots in the slides; this cross-bar is connected to the lever i by a slotted lilik, which is capable of adjustment.

Having thus described the several parts of our machine in detail, we will now proceed to describe its operation. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 the dies D and D are represented as if their rear faces were close together, and in the act of compressing between them a metallic heelshell ot' the character represented in Fig. 6; the plnngers have been advanced into the dies as it' a wooden filling had been interposed between their ends and the metallic shell. The shell-carrier7 E is ready for receiving a shell for conveyance between the dies when they shall become separated suiciently to ad mit it. From such a position we will, for the sake of illustration, suppose the machine to be started; the gear-wheels and their axles will be turned toward each other, as indicated by the arrows. The rst movement ofthe shafts will canse a backward movement of both plungers, con tinning in their course for about one-eighth of a revolution, when they will be joined in their backward movement by the dies. actuated by the cams f and f. The shell-feeder E, ac-

tuated by the lever and the rotary cam h, and loaded with a shell (placed thereon, in this instance, by hand) just before the dies and plnngers have completed theirbackward movement, starts promptly forward, and moves quickly between the,v inner faces of the two dies; before it has advanced beyond the outer edges of the dies, they, while it still advances, also move toward each other, and embrace the shell within the recesses in their rear faces; after the shell is supported by the dies the shell-feeder quickly returns to its original position, leaving the shell between the dies ready to receive the filling. The results thus far attained will have been accomplished by about one-half of a revolution of each shaft, each plunger-cam being nearly at its furthest center. At the moment when the shell-feeder7 commences its return movement, however, the filling-feeders Gr and G engage with the side of the lowest filling in each of the feedboxes, and, actuated simultaneously by the lever i and cam la, they slide the fillings from their respective boxes toward the front faces of the dies, and deposit them on shelf-like projections on the faces of the dies, adjacent to the lower vedges of their apertures. Simultaneously with this movement, the cams having passed the center, the plungers advance toward the dies and carry the fillings into the inclined heel-shaped apertures. It is to be understood, that the wooden lillin gs are `cut crosswise of the grain of the timber, and therefore, that when they are forced into the dies and directed into the shell their centers are readily punched out by the raised central thin-edged screw-bosses, shown in Fig. 6, leaving them, when completed, as represented in Fig. 7. The plug-like chips so forced from the llin gs are pushed by the next succeeding chips through the central longitudinal apertures c in the plungers, until, on arriving at the slot b, they are discharged downward through the bedplate of the machine. When the plungers and dies recede from each other, the filled shell falls through a slot in the plate which sustains the shell-carrier, and through a hole in the bedplate beneath the machine. It will be readily understood that if metallic heel-shells are to be filled, but one die can be employed, and that instead of the second die it will only be necessary to use a suitable base-plate for backing up the shell while the filling is being inserted. Also, that it does not matter what the form of the heel may be, as the machine will serve as well in one case as in another, provided that the dies be properly formed, and the carriers be adapted thereto.

It is obvious that a feed-box maybe arranged for the heel-shells of substantially the same character as either of the boxes F; and that if such box be arranged with the same relation to the shell-carrier E that the boxes occupy with relation to the filling-carriers Gr, the operation of the feeders will be practically the same in both cases.

Having thus described our invention, we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination of a compressing and guiding die, substantially of the character herein described, With a reciprocating forcing plunger, as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination of a compressing and guiding die, a plunger, a feed-box, and a feedmotion or carrier G, operating at right angles to the plunger, for conveying the iillings77 singly from the feed-box to a point coincident with the opening in the die and the face of the plunger, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the compressing and guiding die, the forcing-plunger, and the car rier E for conveying the metallic heel-shells to the rear of the die and leaving the same Within a recess therein, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a compressing and guiding die, a forcing-plunger, a filling-carrier, operating on a line parallel with the l front face of the die, and a shell-carrier,7 operating on a line parallel with the rear side of the die, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination of two reciprocating, compressing, and guiding dies, arranged with their rear faces adjacent and coincident with two forcing reciprocating plun gers, operating on lines at right angles to the faces of the dies, by which the two sockets of a double-faced heel-tap may be filled simultaneously, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination of two reciprocating, compressing, and guiding dies, and two reciprocating plungers, with the filling feeders G G' and the shell-carrier E, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

FREDERICK RICHARDSON. FRANCIS HACKER. JOSIAH ALLEN BLAKE.

Witnesses HENRY MARTIN, CHARLES SRLDEN. 

